Book Summary and Reviews of Her Name Is Rose by Christine Breen

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Katherine D. (Rochester, NY)

Her Name Is Rose
When I settle in with a book, I always hope to gain access to new places and ideas, or the ability to look at the familiar in a new way. Her Name Is Rose is your ticket to just such experiences.

Rose is a gifted teenage violinist studying at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. Her adoptive mother, Iris Bowen, is compelled by circumstance to track down her daughter's biological mother. This search takes us on a fascinating journey from Ireland to London to the US and back.
Music,from classical to regional folk music to modern jazz, serves to connect the various richly developed and sympathetic characters on both sides of the Atlantic. This is a wonderful adventure, not to be missed.

Christine (Wisconsin)

Great read!
I enjoyed this book very much; as the mother of an adopted daughter, I could identify with many of Iris's feelings. Her efforts to find Rose's birth mother were admirable, and took her far out of her comfort zone. All of the characters were well drawn, and it was interesting to see how their lives came to intersect. I think book clubs would enjoy the book, and find many things to discuss in it.

Doris K. (Angora, MN)

Her Name Is Rose
This is an interesting story of a complicated Irish family. The beginning seems to be rather depressing. In the first two pages Iris loses her job and is apprehensive about a mammogram. How she deals with all of this is developed to make a good family story portraying the love of parents for their children. There are enough "twists and turns' to keep the reader interested and see how all the characters fit together.

The author is skilled at portraying how a person feels at any given moment. On page 191 "the energy rising in him, like a tornado, was so intense he had to move so as not to fall" is one example of many descriptions which keep the reader's interest.

A Book Club would be able to have a spirited discussion about some of the decisions made by the characters. Overall this is a good read.

Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL)

Family Ties
What a wonderful cast of characters interwoven in each others lives. Hated to see the story end. Would love to see a sequel written as there are many more stories behind these characters.

Harriette W. (Raleigh, NC)

Her Name Is Rose by Christine Breen
This first novel has me eager to read Breen's next one! Contemporary Irish village life, master class at the London Royal Academy of Music, an offbeat Boston neighborhood seem an unlikely mix. But a loving adoptive mother, Iris, and her talented violinist daughter, Rose, heal from their loss and weave the connections. Iris's expertise in gardening is shared with the reader. Rose's violin brings us Irish jigs as well as classical knowledge. This beautifully written tale with its mysteries revealed along the way had me cheering for Iris and Rose as the story reached its satisfying conclusion.

Heather F. (Louisville, KY)

Savor the scent of this rose
This is a beautifully written story of a mother's love. And there are many types of motherly love. This was especially relevant to me due to a recent family member's diagnosis with breast cancer, as I suspect many readers are touched as well. Breen writes as a relatable, close friend and that can be good or bad depending where you are in your own story. But don't miss it. Well worth the read. Adoption and illness are heavy subjects and this somehow lightens them.

...24 more reader reviews